The Silver Rider
by Shinimegami5
Summary: When a girl from the real world somehow gets flung into Middle-Earth, she meets the Fellowship, and ends up joining them on their quest. But what will it be like, to have a female in the Fellowship? And she has a little crush on a certain Elf... R&R!
1. I Wonder

Shinimegami: Behold! My first Lord of the Rings fic! I saw a few...well, maybe not a few, but I saw some good fics that had people from the real world fall into Middle Earth, and I just couldn't resist. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! ^_^  
  
Iris: Can I says it now?  
  
Shinimegami: Yep! Now you can say it. Oh, for those of you who don't know, Iris-chan is my chibi Harpie Lady SB that was given to me by my very good friend, KuroKarasu. And for those of you who don't know what a Harpie Lady is, then you haven't seen Yu-Gi-Oh. But don't worry, she's still cute nonetheless! Okay, Iris-chan, you can say it now.  
  
Iris: Otay! Shinimegami do not own Lowd of ta Wings. ^.^  
  
Shinimegami: Awww, so kawaii! *huggles Iris* Oh, sorry, now on with the fic!  
  
~*Key*~  
  
"--" = speaking '--' = thinking (--) = English translation of Elvish *--* = italics  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Laura! Time to get up, sweetie!"  
  
Laura slowly cracked an eye open and looked at her clock. It was eight in the morning. She groaned and turned over, pulling the sheets of her bed over her shoulders. Downstairs, her mother called again.  
  
"Laura, are you getting up?" Laura's mother walked up the stairs and to the end of the upstairs hall where Laura's room was located. She ignored the "Knock Twice or DIE" sign on the door and opened it. The big lump under the covers in the bed signaled that Laura was *not* getting up.  
  
"Honestly, Laura," said Laura's mother, crossing the room and pulling the covers off of her daughter. Laura's eyes popped open and she looked groggily up at her mother, who gave a small sigh of frustration.  
  
"Honey, you *know* that you're supposed to get up at this time every morning," she said. Laura sat up in her bed, rubbing her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know, Mom," said Laura after yawning. Another yawn followed; her mother looked somewhat suspicious.  
  
"Okay, how long did you stay up last night?" she asked, hands on her hips. When Laura paused in mid sentence, she added, "you didn't stay up to four in the morning again, did you?"  
  
"Of course not!" said Laura. "I only stayed up to 3:15 this time." Her mother had a look of both anger and frustration.  
  
"Laura, if you can't get up at this time every day, then you might as well not have that horse at all," she said. "I mean, I'm always willing to feed it whenever you're sick or can't be that physical, but I can't do it just because you're too lazy to get up in the mornings!" Laura lowered her head.  
  
"Okay, Mom, I'm sorry!" said Laura. "I promise, I'll get up when I say I will."  
  
"Good, because I don't want to get another daughter to replace you," her mother said teasingly and with a quick hug. "Now you'd better get dressed before your horse gets restless of hunger. And don't forget to practice the piano later today." With that, she left Laura's bedroom, closing the door behind her.  
  
Laura stretched her arms out and got out of her bed and made it. Walking over to her computer, she picked up her glasses and put them on.  
  
"Much better," she said to herself. After opening the blinds to her window, Laura walked over to her dresser, which was covered with a bunch of pictures she had drawn of her favorite characters from her favorite animes.  
  
(A/N. Oh, and I'll take this opportunity to point out that I also don't own any of the Japanese animes that I mention in this fic. They all belong to...well, whoever and whatever they belong to. Okay, you may continue. ^.^)  
  
After about two or so minutes, which included her head getting caught in her shirt, Laura had changed out of her pajamas. She now wore dark blue jeans and a black 3/4-sleeve shirt. Laura put on her riding boots and walked towards her desk. She finally found her hairbrush next to her Yu-Gi- Oh duel monsters deck and under her Gundam Wing and Fushigi Yuugi manga. The tangles in her curly/wavy brown hair were brushed through, and Laura began to fix it into a long braid. The braid went down to her waist.  
  
Laura put on her silver-feather earrings before looking around for her bag. She spotted it under her bed and picked it up. She walked around her room, putting into the bag some of her favorite manga and her wooden flute. Even though she was considered an expert at the piano, Laura was also very good with her flute. After doing her packing, Laura finally put on her silver cross necklace. She never left the house without it. Laura swung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of her room and down the stairs.  
  
"Hey, Laura!" called a familiar voice when Laura reached the bottom of the stairs. She turned around to see her younger sister, Kelly, walking towards her. Laura nodded towards her in greeting.  
  
"Laura, can I barrow one of your Pokémon versions?" asked Kelly.  
  
"Mani er?" asked Laura, with a slight smile on her face.  
  
"What?" asked Kelly with a look of slight frustration.  
  
"I said 'which one'?" repeated Laura, only in English instead of Elvish. Laura couldn't help but speak Elvish when she was around her sister. In fact, she couldn't help but speak it to her parents as well.  
  
"How about your Gold?" Kelly asked again.  
  
"Okay, I guess," said Laura. "Just be careful with it."  
  
"I will," said Kelly. Laura smiled. She didn't mind lending her games to Kelly. As long as it wasn't her Silver version, she didn't mind at all. Silver was her favorite.  
  
"Hey, Kelly, did Dad leave for work already?" asked Laura as she made her way towards the kitchen.  
  
"Well, yeah," said Kelly, entering the kitchen with her older sister. "He always leaves at 7:30, remember?"  
  
"Oh," said Laura as realization hit her. "Yeah." She set down her bag on the counter and opened one of the pantries.  
  
"Oh, Mom made you some sandwiches for you," said Kelly, pointing to the second counter. Laura turned and saw them in the plastic bag and picked them up.  
  
"Where is she?" Laura asked while putting the sandwiches into her other bag.  
  
"She said she had to go to her office for a bit," Kelly said. "Something about a new schedule, or something." Laura nodded and put the bag on her shoulder again. She headed for the back door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kelly asked.  
  
"I'm gonna go feed Telpë," replied Laura, walking outside. "And then I'm gonna go practice my archery."  
  
"Want me to tell Mom where you are if she comes back and your still out there?"  
  
"Sure, thanks."  
  
"Hey, where do you go when you practice your archery?  
  
"Somewhere."  
  
"Oh yeah, THAT sure helps." Laura laughed.  
  
"Sorry, I just like to keep my places to myself, that's all."  
  
"Eh, figures. Well, have fun."  
  
"Don't worry, I will."  
  
Laura shut the backdoor and walked to the stable, breathing in the fresh California air. She set down her bag once more and picked up a large bucket, then went to fill it up with oats. The whinnies of Telpë filled the stable as Laura approached him with his breakfast.  
  
"Hey there, boy!" said Laura happily as she opened the horse's stall. She set down the bucket of oats and rubbed the horse's neck. Telpë was a beautiful silvery-white color, with hooves as black as a starless night. Laura led him over to the oats and he began to eat. Laura smiled and took his brush off the wall and proceeded to brush Telpë's white mane.  
  
Laura was still smiling as she brushed her horse gently. She had always loved Telpë with all her heart. After all, she had been with him since he was just a foal. Even his name was special to her. Telpë's name was Elvish for "silver." Laura had learned a lot of Elvish language from the Lord of the Rings series, one of her favorite book series and movies. Everyone who was anyone knew exactly who her favorite character was straight from the beginning.  
  
The silvery horse kept eating as Laura hung the brush back up and walked out of the stall. She opened up a closet to reveal her archery supplies. Laura took out her bow and her quiver full of arrows. She added a few more in, just in case she lost some while practicing. Putting her equipment down, Laura went to go check on Telpë.  
  
"Wow, you must have had a big appetite this morning," said Laura when she noticed the bucket was completely empty. She shrugged, put the bucket away, and took Telpë's reins from the wall. Laura carefully secured them on the horse's head and then led him outside the stable.  
  
Next, the blanket and saddle was put on. Telpë stood patiently as he waited for Laura to finish. Laura took her bag and archery equipment and secured them to the saddle, one on each side so it would be balanced.  
  
"Ready?" Laura asked Telpë, who stamped his hooves impatiently, as if wanting to get going. Laura laughed. "Okay, let's go!" She gracefully mounted Telpë and grasped the reins firmly. And then she was off.  
  
Laura always loved riding on Telpë. She loved the wind in her face, the feeling of her horse beneath her, and so much more. Telpë's speed was so smooth and quick. It reminded her of the second book, "The Two Towers" when Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli rode on Hasufel and Arod. And of course, Gandalf on Shadowfax as well. She loved thinking about the Fellowship of nine and their quest of the One Ring. And how she thought, about if *she* were a member of the Fellowship, what would happen...  
  
Suddenly, Telpë halted in his tracks. He whinnied and neighed, stamping the ground nervously with his hooves.  
  
"What is it, boy?" Laura asked with concern. She managed to calm him and looked around for any sign of danger, but there was none. Laura gave a small sigh, glad that whatever had made Telpë nervous was gone.  
  
"Mankoi lle uma tanya, Telpë?" Laura asked quietly. ("Why did you do that, Telpë?") The horse tossed its head a little; he looked around almost nervously. Laura looked around again, but still didn't see anything. Just as she was about to continue, a sudden bright flash sparked out of nowhere. Laura turned Telpë away from where ever the flash was coming from, but it still blinded both her and her horse. She didn't have time to block the light with her arm as everything around her went black.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Laura awoke to something soft nudging her. Opening her eyes, she saw Telpë whinnying softly, trying to make her get up.  
  
"Telpë!" said Laura happily. She stood up off the ground and hugged his neck. She was so glad that nothing had happened to him, or either of them. Then again...  
  
Laura looked around at her surroundings. She and Telpë were still in a meadow, but not the same one they started in. They were now next to the edge of a deep forest, in front of a huge, golden meadow. And that wasn't the only thing that was different.  
  
Laura suddenly noticed that the clothes she was now wearing were completely different from the ones she put on that morning. Now, she wore a silver tunic that went down to the bottom of her hips; a silver belt was around her waist. She also wore somewhat tight silver pants, with light, silver boots on her feet. Now that she thought about it, everything that she had with her was silver. Instead of worn out and rusty, her arrows were silver-feathered and bright, as was her quiver and bow. The saddle and reins of Telpë were now also silver. Laura checked and found that she still had her silver-feathered earrings, as well as her silver cross necklace.  
  
Also, Laura noticed something that rather shocked her. She now had more weapons besides her arrows. A long, slender, silver whip was attached to the side of her belt. The other side of the belt held a long, silver dagger. And last, Laura noticed that the band that held together her long braid was now a thin, silken ribbon, also silver.  
  
"This is messed up..." Laura managed to mutter. Well, it wasn't *all* bad. At least she got to wear her favorite color.  
  
Telpë nuzzled Laura, sensing her frustration, as well as her fear. Laura managed a smile and patted the horse's neck.  
  
"Diola lle," said Laura. ("Thank you.") Telpë always found a way to make her feel better. "Well, I guess I'd better get used to this..."  
  
Laura put her bow into her quiver with her arrows and removed it from Telpë's saddle. She secured the leather straps across her front, so the quiver was on her back. After making sure that her bag was still tied tight, Laura mounted again and the duo galloped off.  
  
"Where do you think we are?" Laura asked to no one in particular as she rode. She shifted slightly in her new clothes. They were all in a way, tight and slightly body-hugging.  
  
Telpë ran on, apparently enjoying the feel of the smooth wind. Laura would have let him go on as he pleased, when she spotted something downhill and halted him. Telpë stopped instantly, and gazed down at what Laura had spotted.  
  
She saw nine figures downhill, appearing as though they were resting. Five of which were short, while the rest were all tall. A horse was also resting with them. Then, something hit Laura.  
  
'Nine figures and a horse,' she thought. 'This is almost like...wait a minute, it can't be! It couldn't be!... Well, it might be... But...how? Am I now in-' Laura didn't have time to finish that thought as one of the tall figures looked up and spotted Laura on top of the hill. Immediately, Laura signaled for Telpë to run, and he did. He turned and galloped away from the nine figures, and didn't stop until Laura signaled for him to under the shade of some large trees.  
  
Laura dismounted and sat down on the ground. Telpë also slumped down next to her. Laura smiled and leaned against the horse.  
  
"Quel esta, Telpë," whispered Laura. ("Rest well, Telpë.") He seemed tired after running all morning. After a while, Laura felt her eyes droop, and she fell into sleep.  
  
Laura awoke later, but she didn't open her eyes. The sun was up high now; the light showed through her eyelids. Suddenly, she heard Telpë emit a soft whinny of nervousness. Laura opened her eyes, only to find herself face-to-face with the head of an arrow and a sword.  
  
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Shinimegami: WOAH! Normally, my first chapters are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay shorter than this! Oh well, it's still cool.  
  
Iris: *asleep in Shinimegami's arms*  
  
Shinimegami: ^.^ Anyway, looks like a cliffhanger, folks! And gee, I wonder who she's run into. If you haven't guessed already, then you'll find out in the next chappie! Until then, ja ne! ^.~ 


	2. Say Hello to the Fellowship!

Shinimegami: *stares at her dead readers* Man, talk about laying off writing...  
  
MoonlitMeowth: Yep, it's ALL your fault.  
  
Shinimegami: Wha? What are YOU doing here?! This is MY fic, not yours!  
  
MoonlitMeowth: Eh, it's not like you've been updating or anything.  
  
Shinimegami: Yeah, well, neither have YOU!  
  
MoonlitMeowth: .........oh yeah... *walks off*  
  
Shinimegami: Okay now. Sorry, that was just my younger sister. *clears throat* Words cannot express how SORRY I am that I haven't updated for 3 months.  
  
MoonlitMeowth: *pops out of nowhere* 5 months. *goes away*  
  
Shinimegami: Oh, yes, right, 5 months, thank you. Anyway, if you're all so EAGER to know WHY I haven't updated, feel free to e-mail me about it. Oh, and also-  
  
Readers: JUST START THE FREAKING CHAPTER, ALREADY!!!  
  
Shinimegami: EEP! Uh, yeah, okay, I'll just do that, yup. Oh, but also, I can't believe what a hit this story is already! I mean, what, 31 reviews for the first chapter? Cool! But, it might also be because I haven't updated and stuff, so-  
  
Random reader: *chucks a brick at Shinimegami's head*  
  
Shinimegami: @_@  
  
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Laura opened her eyes, only to find herself face-to-face with the head of an arrow and a sword.  
  
Laura would have cried out loud, but her voice was caught in her throat. Two tall figures stood over her, their weapons pointed at her. The figure with the sword was a man dressed in black. He had shoulder-length, dark, shaggy hair. The grip on his sword was firm; he looked like an expert swordsman. His gray eyes pierced into Laura's. She gulped and turned to the second figure.  
  
Instantly, Laura could tell that the archer was an Elf; his ears were pointed. He was clad in green and brown. Long, blonde hair covered his shoulders. He was unmoving, as if he neither breathed nor blinked. His bow and arrow didn't tremble even slightly. His blue eyes were locked on Laura, and his fair Elven face seemed to show no emotion at the moment.  
  
"Speak your name, Silver Rider," said the man in black. Laura looked back to him.  
  
"Silver Rider?" Laura questioned to herself. "Hmm, I like the sound of that..." The sword was lowered under her chin.  
  
"Speak your name," repeated the man, only more demandingly. Laura swallowed nervously.  
  
"Um, I'm Laura," she managed to say. The sword was brought back a little. The swordsman's eyes studied Laura carefully before he spoke again.  
  
"What is your age?" he asked. "You look very young." Laura hesitated. Her mother had always told her to never reveal her age to strangers. Of course, it wasn't like anyone in California walked around carrying swords and arrows. Hmm, let's study the situation... If she told them her age, they might go easy on her, but then they might not. And if she didn't tell them...well, she'd probably get hurt anyway.  
  
"14," said Laura finally. Both the man's and the Elf's eyes widened a little bit. The man brought back his sword; the Elf lowered his bow a little.  
  
"You looked young, but I never expected that young," spoke the man. Another moment passed before he spoke. "Are you alone?"  
  
"Yes," Laura answered truthfully. "The only friend I have with me is Telpë." She gestured towards the horse behind her; he still lay on the ground.  
  
"You will not fare well by yourself here," said the man, putting his sword back into its scabbard. He took a step toward Laura.  
  
"I suggest you come with us," he said. He extended his hand out toward Laura. She looked at it for a second before accepting it and being pulled to her feet.  
  
"Forgive me, I haven't introduced myself," the man said. "I am Aragorn son of Arathorn." He took her hand once more and gave a light peck on the back of her palm.  
  
Laura just stood there. Did he just say Aragorn son of Arathorn? Because if he did...oh God, was this actually true? Did she actually get flung into Middle-Earth somehow? Her thoughts were interrupted as the Elf put away his bow and stepped forward. Wait, if that man was Aragorn, then...that would mean the Elf was...  
  
"My name is Legolas Greenleaf," spoke the Elf. Laura's hand was taken once again, and the Elf bent his head. His lips barely grazed Laura's skin in a light kiss. Laura managed to conceal an oncoming blush.  
  
Oh. My. God. He was right in front of her. Legolas, her favorite Lord of the Rings character, was actually standing right in front of her. He noticed Laura's slight nervousness and offered a small smile. Well, that made Laura feel a *little* better. Laura's hand was released and Aragorn spoke again.  
  
"Let us go," he said. "Get your horse, Lady." Laura turned around to face Telpë.  
  
"Tula, Telpë," she said. ("Come, Telpë.") The silver horse obediently stood up off the ground and walked over to Laura. She took his reins in her hand and led him behind her as she followed Aragorn and Legolas.  
  
They walked silently for some time before they spotted Aragorn and Legolas' companions next to some boulders in the meadow. Laura released a breath she didn't even know she was holding. Aragorn turned to her.  
  
"Our companions will not harm you," he said. "I doubt you are a spy of Saruman. You have nothing to fear." Oh great. *Now* he had a feeling that she was an enemy spy.  
  
As they walked closer to the rest of the Fellowship, Laura couldn't help but glance over at Legolas. God, he looked even better in person than on the big screen. The Elf's gaze met hers, and Laura quickly averted her eyes to the seven figures ahead of them. This was going to be a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle bit tough.  
  
Laura's grip on Telpë's reins tightened as she felt the gaze of the Fellowship fall upon her. She recognized each of the members, but said nothing about it. The man she recognized as Boromir placed a hand on the handle of his sword.  
  
"Do not draw your weapon, Boromir," said Aragorn, seeing this. "She means no harm." Boromir took another look at Laura and then nodded, moving his hand away from his sword. An uneasy silence passed. Finally, Gandalf spoke.  
  
"And who is this you've found, Aragorn?" he asked.  
  
"What's her name?" Laura heard Pippin ask.  
  
"You fool, Gandalf just asked that!" Merry barked at him.  
  
"Hey, I'm curious too, Merry!" Pippin shot back. He didn't hesitate at all and walked over to Laura. "The name's Peregrin Took, but you can call me Pippin, if you'd like." He reached out his hand and Laura took it.  
  
"Nice to meet you, Pippin," she said quietly. "I'm Laura."  
  
"Of...?"  
  
"California." Aragorn raised an eyebrow.  
  
"California? I have never heard of a place called that."  
  
"Yes, well...it doesn't exist in this world," Laura said a little hesitantly. She didn't know how they were going to react to this.  
  
"Now, what exactly do you mean?" Aragorn asked.  
  
"Well, you see, I'm not from this world," Laura explained. "I'm from another world called Earth. Not Middle-Earth, just plain Earth." More silence followed. The Hobbits exchanged confused glances. Oh yeah. This was sure going well. Boromir stood.  
  
"You claim to be from another world," he said. "How do we know this to be true? You could possibly be a spy of the enemy."  
  
"Oh, just drop it, Boromir," Gimli spoke up from his seat on the ground. "She seems frightened enough as it is; all she needs now is to be convicted that she is a spy." Laura gave a mental sigh of relief. Thank you, *Gimli*.  
  
"Are you really from another world?" Merry suddenly asked out of nowhere.  
  
"Of course she isn't, Merry," said Sam, poking his friend in the back. "It isn't possible for people to do that."  
  
"Now, now, I wouldn't be so sure of that, my dear Hobbit," Gandalf chuckled. "Magic does not always come in the form of spells [1]. It *could* be possible for her to have come from a world different from ours..."  
  
Yep, there was that awkward silence again. Laura averted her eyes downward, suddenly taking a great interest in Telpë's hooves.  
  
"Oh! Dear me, we have to introduce ourselves to the young lady!" said Gandalf, rising off from the rock he was sitting on. "Gandalf the Grey. It's a pleasure." He extended his hand and gently shook hers. Laura turned and saw Boromir walk to her.  
  
"I am Boromir of Gondor," he said. "I apologize for the inconvenience earlier." With that, he took her hand and kissed it lightly.  
  
"Gimli son of Glóin," said Gimli from where he sat still and with a wave of his hand. Merry stood up.  
  
"Meriadoc Brandybuck, at your service!" Merry said with a small bow. "And my friends behind me are Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee." Laura looked behind Merry and saw the two familiar Hobbits, who smiled at her.  
  
"Um, Sam's just fine, though," Sam spoke up. Laura smiled.  
  
"And I'm Peregrin Took!" Pippin said again. "But you can call me Pi-"  
  
"Uh, Pippin," Frodo interrupted, "you told her that already."  
  
"Goodness, did I?" asked Pippin, scratching his head. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must be hungry. I forget things when I'm hungry."  
  
"Then let us have dinner," said Gandalf. "The sun has already begun to set. Aragorn, help me with the fire..."  
  
Laura stopped listening when she felt Telpë tug on his reins. She followed his gaze to Bill the pony a distance away. Laura smiled.  
  
"Okay, Telpë, go ahead," she said quietly to him. "Just let me get my bag first." With a bit of difficulty, she untied her bag from her horse's side and took it off his saddle, allowing him to trot over to his fellow horse and greet him.  
  
Sooooo... what to do now? The Fellowship seemed to accept her for the time being... she might as well get used to it. Laura trudged over to the pile of boulders and sat down, leaning her back against one. She looked over at the Hobbits, who were whispering to each other and glancing over at her. Aragorn was helping Gandalf prepare food, while Boromir, Gimli, and Legolas appeared to keep watch for any signs of danger.  
  
Yup, there went that feeling again. Stupid hormones! Eh, well she *was* just a surly teen, as her father put it...  
  
Laura opened up her bag to check over her supplies. Her manga and flute were still in there, not to mention the slightly squished sandwiches, too. And... oh yes!! Her CD player was there as well! But, when did she put *that* in her bag...? Eh, didn't matter. The point was, she had it.  
  
"Excuse me, miss?" Laura looked up to see Frodo standing in front of her. He looked a little hesitant.  
  
"Yes?" Frodo looked behind him at his fellow Hobbits, who made gestures as if to urge him to do something. Frodo looked back at Laura.  
  
"Um, I don't mean to be rude by asking, but we're just curious," Frodo started. "Uh, what are those shiny things on your teeth?"  
  
"Oh, they're called braces. See, my teeth aren't that straight, so the braces are put on my teeth to pull them closer together."  
  
"What are they made of?" Merry asked, coming up behind Frodo.  
  
"Metal."  
  
"How'd you get it *in* there?" asked Sam, amazed.  
  
"Uhh... well, it's kinda complicated."  
  
"Does it ever hurt?" Pippin chirped.  
  
"Well, no, not really."  
  
"What did you say your name was, again?"  
  
"Laura."  
  
Annnd so it went. The four Hobbits asked her question after question after question... Laura didn't mind it that much. After all, it *did* kind of make her feel a bit more comfortable. But still, what was this, the Spanish Inquisition?  
  
'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!' Laura said mentally. Heh heh, Monty Python... yep...  
  
The sun was behind the hills when Gandalf announced that dinner was ready. The Hobbits cheered and raced towards the fire to receive their portions. Laura laughed to herself; they reminded her of her sister at dinnertime... Kelly always had to be the first at the table.  
  
Laura suddenly felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't thought of her family at all since she arrived in Middle-Earth. Did they notice she was gone? Were they worried? What were they doing now?  
  
"Laura!" called Pippin. "Come, come, there is plenty to share!" He turned back suddenly to Merry, arguing about who would claim the largest piece of bread. Laura gave a small smile and shook her head. She felt a small tinge of content, but she couldn't eat; not now, when she thought of her home.  
  
The Hobbits gathered about themselves and talked cheerfully while they ate. Gandalf, Gimli, and Aragorn were in a quiet conversation among themselves as well; Boromir ate while he continued to keep watch.  
  
Laura looked up again and saw that Legolas was eyeing her with his careful gaze. Her gaze met his, and they looked at one another for a few seconds before Legolas turned his eyes away.  
  
By now, the sun had completely set. Frodo and the others were already asleep; Laura barely held back a laugh when she saw that Pippin was practically lying on top of Merry. Everyone else appeared to be asleep... or so she thought. Laura hugged her knees to her chest; her thoughts were still on her family. She was practically on the verge of tears, when a soft voice next to her broke her thoughts.  
  
"Malia ten' vasa?" ("Care for some food?")  
  
Laura gasped and looked up. Legolas stood over her, holding out a piece of bread to her. The ends of his mouth were twitched up into a small smile. Laura looked at the bread in his hand, before looking back up into his eyes. She slowly reached out her hand.  
  
"Diola lle," Laura said quietly. ("Thank you.") She took the bread into her hand, but she didn't eat it. Legolas crossed back over to where he had stood before, picked something up, and then walked back again.  
  
"Sana sina," he said, holding out a grey blanket to her. ("Take this.") She accepted quietly.  
  
"Diola lle."  
  
"Lle creoso." ("You're welcome.") The Elf walked once again to his original position and seated himself gracefully. He turned to look at Laura again.  
  
"Don't worry, things will be better for you in the morning," Legolas said, this time in English. He lay on his back, folding his hands loosely on his stomach and turning his head away from her.  
  
Laura looked at the bread Legolas had given her for a minute before beginning to nibble on it. Those few crumbs she swallowed reminded her stomach how long it had been since she ate anything, and she practically inhaled the rest of the bread.  
  
The wind picked up slightly, and Laura wrapped herself tightly in the blanket. Telpë and Bill grazed silently a few feet away.  
  
Well, it was good so far. Laura was with the Fellowship, she hadn't been killed yet, and Legolas had actually *spoken* to her. She watched the Elf's motionless form until her eyelids felt heavy, and she drifted off into sleep.  
  
Life was goooood...  
  
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[1] I admit it. I kinda, um, "borrowed" this line from a story I read. So Star, if you're reading this, PLEASE don't kill me! The credit for this line goes to you! *bows repeatedly* Have mercy, I beg of you!!  
  
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Shinimegami: Well, there ya go! Hope you enjoyed, and once again, I apologize for not updating for 3-  
  
MoonlitMeowth: *pops out* 5. *disappears*  
  
Shinimegami: -5 months. Yeah.  
  
Iris: Shinimegami need to work on ofer stowies, too!  
  
Shinimegami: Argh, yeah, I need to do that, too. So, my adoring fans and readers, please R&R and I promise, since it's summer vacation, I'll get a LOT more updating going! Thanks people, you're all beautiful! ^.~  
  
Iris: Ja! ^___^ 


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